1

1854. E. P. Hudson,

1856. L. Wilson.

The year 1819, so far as my schedules show, witnessed the institution of the Adelphic Union Exhibition, and the Junior Exhibition, which still continue to be held. A Senior Exhibition also appears to have taken place at the end of the first or Fall term. This has, however, been for several years discontinued. The first Prize Rhetorical Exhibition appears to have been held in 1829. The first mock-schedule of the Junior Exhibition, was issued in 1851. It is therefore no time-honored custom, but one more honored in the breach than the observance."

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And now, Messrs. Editors, you have a goodly array of names, many of which are "not unknown to fame." They do not comprise all that old Williams may be proud to point out on her Triennial Catalogue, but I think they will satisfactorily disprove the assertion often so sweepingly and unthinkingly made, that success in College gives no promise of success in life. ANTIQUARIUS.

THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF

AMERICA.*

No sooner does a useful invention become well-known, than a hundred conjectures and doubts are raised in regard to its novelty, and it would seem as though Solomon's sweeping assertion, that there is "nothing new under the sun," were literally true. Faust's renown as the primitive discoverer of printing, has been considerably shaken of late by the more intimate acquaintance which we have gained with Chinese arts, disclosing as they do, a knowledge of printing much anterior to Faust's time; and extensive research among the buried cities of the East, is continually bringing to light arts and sciences, which we had hitherto confidently asserted to be of modern invention. This is also true of discovery. An obscure Italian sets sail, in spite of the jeers of the incredulous learned, in search of a continent; he discovers it, and immediately his claim to the honor of being the original discoverer is disputed. In his own time Columbus heard the cavils of jealous enemies, but the candid investigation of a later age has proved those objections to rest on very insecure foundation. But we have been within a very few years called upon to examine the truth of a more important claim to the original discovery of America, which has been brought forward by the Scandinavians. Our acquaintance with the literature of the North has hitherto been much confined, but through the careful research of Norwegian and Danish scholars, we have lately become possessed of facts that afford at least plausible grounds to suppose that this continent was known to the Northmen in the Eleventh century. Without now stopping to examine the authenticity of the documents which give us this information, let us consider the facts presented to us and apply the proper tests.

In 1714, attention was directed by Cotton Mather to an inscription upon a rock near the mouth of Taunton River in Massachusetts, but the

* The writer has obtained his information on this subject, principally from the following works :-Antiquitates Americana; Henderson's Iceland; Wheaton's History of the Northmen; Mallet's Northern Antiquites; Forster's Voyages and the Analectic Magazine for October, 1820.

subject was soon dismissed without any definite conclusions in regard to its origin being arrived at. All agreed, however, that it was not the work of the Indians, but of some civilized people who had formerly resided there. But the first notice which I find in later years of the traditions of Scandinavians, is in Mallet's "Northern Antiquities," Paris, 1755. In this book the author gives an abstract of the information concerning the Discovery of Vinland by the Northmen, contained in the old annals of Norway and Iceland. The fullest account, however, is to be found in the " 'Antiquitates Americana," Hafniae, 1837. In this work, the editors have collected the principal evidence to be found in favor of this discovery. All this evidence is drawn from full and minute historic records, which have been preserved in Norway and Iceland, and from the inscriptions which have been discovered on a few rocks on the coast of New England.

In order to trace the progress of the discovery, we must go back to the colonization of Iceland. This island was discovered in 861 by Naddod, a Norwegian, who called it Snoeland, or the land of snow. Finding no traces of civilization, he returned to Norway with an account of his discovery. A second visit was made three years later by Gardar, who sailed round it, discovered it to be an island and gave it the name of Gardarsholm, or the Island of Gardar. In 865, the island was again visited by the pirate Floki. He spent the winter there with his companions, but meeting with losses, returned home, after having given it the dreary name which it has ever since held. The account which his companions gave was far different from his. They described it as a most delightful country, and one of them "could not conceive how he could convey a more adequate idea of its richness and fertility, than by saying that 'milk dropped from every plant and butter from every twig!" In 870, two Norwegians, Ingolf and Hjörleif, obliged to flee their native country to escape the vengeance of enemies, landed in Iceland and established a permanent colony there. The population of the island was greatly increased by the tyranny which Harold, King of Norway, exercised over his subjects. Great numbers of them flocked to Iceland, and settled down as tillers of the soil. In 928, the inhabitants formed themselves into a regular republic, and the laws were administered with great equity and justice.

The discovery of Greenland was made about 982, by Eric the Red, who was the son of Thorwald-a Norwegian noble, banished from his country for having slain a person in duel. Coming to Iceland, Eric,

after the death of his father, committed the same crime, and was obliged to leave the country. Being also under sentence of banishment from Norway, he was in great perplexity whither to flee. Necessity determined him to attempt the discovery of a coast to the north-west of Iceland, which had before been descried by some fishermen The distance

was not great and his search proved successful. Landing upon a little island, he there spent the winter, and in the spring crossed over to the main land, and finding it covered with beautiful verdure, he gave it the name of Greenland. Returning to Iceland after a few years, he induced many to go to the new land, where colonies sprang up, and flourishing settlements were made. The population rapidly increased; castles were built and churches founded, the remains of which are still to be seen. Having so far traced the progress of discovery, which the active and restless Norwegians were constantly making, let us follow them still further and mark their steps as they turn toward the western world.

There was formerly, say the ancient chronicles, a man named Herjolf, descended from Ingolf, one of the first settlers in Iceland. This man was accustomed to make voyages with his son Biarne. In one of these voyages their vessels became separated, and Herjolf went to Norway and afterwards to Greenland. Biarne coming to Norway, learned of his father's departure for Greenland, and immediately set out for that country, though it was then but little known and he had no one on board who could guide him to it. He steered by observation of the stars and by what he had heard of the situation of the country. During the first three days, he bore toward the west, but the wind varying to the north and blowing strong, he was forced to run to the southward. He was driven in that direction for several days, and when the wind and great darkness which had prevailed, ceased, he discovered land in the distance and made sail for it. The appearance of this land was that of a low flat country, overgrown with woods. Knowing that the coast of Greenland was covered with lofty snow-topped mountains, he stood off and sailed to the north-west, passing an island in the distance, and after seven days reached the southern-most point of Greenland, where Biarne found his father. There is, however, such a shade of uncertainty thrown over this narration, that it would be insufficient to support the claim of the Norwegians without the additional evidences of subsequent voyages.

Biarne, it is said, made a visit to Norway and related his adventures to Eric, a distinguished Jarl of the country, who reproached him for not having explored the new land to which he had been driven. Returning

to his father in Greenland, there was much noise made about this new country which Biarne was said to have discovered. The Norwegians, naturally a hardy people, were filled with eagerness to go thither, and Leif, son of Eric the Red, was excited to emulate the fame which his father had acquired from the discovery of Greenland. He purchased Biarne's ship and manned it with thirty-five men. After much entreaty, he persuaded his aged father, Eric, to take charge of the enterprise, but as they were going down to the vessel, which was all ready to sail, Eric's horse stumbled, and taking it as an ill omen, he refused to embark. Leif, therefore, set out without him, and weighed anchor with his companions, among whom was Tyrker, a German, who had long resided in his father's family. This was in the year 1000.

They first discovered land, which they supposed to have been seen by Biarne, the coast of which was flat and stony, and which they named Helluland or Rockland. Sailing farther south they came to another coast, also flat, covered with thick wood, and the shores of white sand gradually sloping toward the sea. This they named Markland or Woodland. Again embarking, they pushed their voyage to the south-west for two days and nights, when they came to a third land, the northern past of which was sheltered by an island. Landing here, they found a country not mountainous, but undulating and woody, abounding in plants which produced a grain as sweet as honey. They did not continue here long, but took to their vessel, and sailing to the west, came to the mouth of a river, up which they were carried with the tide to a lake whence the river flowed. Here they pitched their tents, and found the river full of fine salmon, and the land fruitful and affording good pasturage. They determined to pass the winter here, and accordingly erected some huts, calling the place Leifsbooths.

One day, during their stay there, the German, Tyrker, was found to be missing, and as Leif valued his services highly, since he was acquainted with many arts, a number of the members of the expedition were sent out to search for him. When they at last found him, he gave way to the most extravagant bursts of joy and commenced speaking to them rapidly in his own tongue, which they did not understand. When he was induced to explain himself, he told them that he had discovered vines producing wild grapes, and joyfully pointed out the spot where he had procured them. The men gathering some bunches bore them to Leif, who at first doubted whether they were grapes; but the German, who had lived in the South, assured him that they were grapes, and accord